From This Moment On
by dreamergirl2008
Summary: *Complete* A set of stories, each one re-doing a scene involving Tristan and Rory, with how I think they should have gone. Updated 12/14/10! Trory. Read and review please!
1. It Happens Just Not to Me

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything that comes from "Gilmore Girls" or Luther Vandross_

_Thanks to Curley-Q, Kate, KariandTK, Sleeping to Dream About You, chezzybabe, LoVe23, lexie9890, kylielink, and Jeremy Shane for reviewing!_

_Scene: Paris has just chewed Rory out for setting her up with Tristan when he only wanted to be friends._

**Happens All the Time… But Just Not to Me**

Rory watched, dumbfounded, as Paris stormed off. She set the two up on a date that had apparently gone well, Paris expressed an interest in going on a second date and Tristan shot her down. That boy, she silently fumed as she walked up to where Tristan sat on a desk. He faced her quickly.

"You told her?" Rory accused.

"I didn't know it was a secret!" Tristan claimed.

"Why would you tell her? What is wrong with you?" She huffed in aggravation at the boy's carelessness. A girl did not appreciate hearing that her dream date had been set up. She had thought a guy with his amount of experience would understand something that basic.

"Rory, relax. We tried, we didn't work out. It's no big deal!" Tristan attempted to explain his actions only to be cut off again by Rory. He felt a building sensation in his stomach, one that screamed_, This is it! This is it!_

"It's a huge deal to Paris! And you didn't try, one date is not trying!" Rory felt hurt on her

friend's behalf but couldn't identify where the small and petty sense of joy came from. She ruthlessly shoved it aside to deal with later. Right now was about Paris.

"Rory-" he began only to be cut off again.

"You said you'd try!"

Tristan became fed up with her accusations. "Hey, I'm sorry Paris is upset, okay? But is it better that I keep dating her even though I like someone else?" He held his breath as he waited for her smart mind to make the connection. He saw a flash of recognition in her eyes but it was quickly smothered.

"Oh." Rory _was_ smart but not when it came to matters of the heart. She had believed that Tristan was referring to her, but… he had never acted like he wanted to date her. Then there was the kiss… but they had both agreed it was a mistake. So who could he be referring to?

"Yeah." Tristan felt a small balloon of hope rise in him as he saw Rory quickly analyze his statement. She just might realize how much he liked her and all thanks to Paris…

"I didn't realize. So… you're still not over Summer, huh?" The balloon burst and was submerged in incredulous disbelief. Was this girl really that dense? He'd been making calf's eyes at her the entire conversation, hoping this would be the conversation that would cause her realize how he felt and then… nothing.

"Yeah… I'm not over Summer yet." He shook his head and left to talk with his friends. They normally caught his undercurrents, even if they were crude. Rory stared after him, uncertain as to how she offended him. Maybe her mother would know…

_Later, at the Inn…_

It had been a rather boring day for Lorelei until Michel decided (unwillingly) to give her a pick-me-up. She laughed as she watched Michel attempt to detach an enthralled woman from his arm. The woman had been flirting with him for the past fifteen minutes and he hadn't been paying attention. He'd been answering her rather personal questions with his usual way of insults as he flipped through the mail. The guest had taken the responses as him playing hard to get. Lorelei was tempted to head to the kitchen and retrieve some snacks to enjoy the show better but she didn't want to miss anything.

"What's going on?" Rory whispered as she sat beside Lorelei on the couch. She dropped her book bag at her feet and watched Michel's struggles.

"The woman is hot for Michel and his accent. She's been trying to get him to leave his 'station' to come up to her room with her." Lorelei whispered without removing her eyes from the scene.

"Where's the popcorn? You can't fully enjoy this without popcorn," Rory whispered back.

"I was going to go ask Suki for something but I don't want to miss this." A gesture of her hand encompassed the disgusted Michel and the determined lady. Rory nodded her agreement and settled back to watch. After another five minutes trying to persuade him, the woman left, although not without leaving a heavily perfumed card in Michel's jacket pocket. He immediately threw it away and turned to face his boss and her daughter.

"Were you there the entire time?" His accent grew even more pronounced as he shrieked in outrage. The two grinned and nodded. He sniffed. "Well, you have always been my least favorite people. This simply confirms the wisdom in my choice." He stalked off angrily.

Lorelei giggled and turned to her daughter. "Well, that lightened up my mood. What's up with you, kiddo?" she asked as Rory's smile slipped a little. "Did the Chilton Freaks do something outrageous again?"

"Not really. I told you about the date I had set up for Paris with Tristan, right?" Lorelei nodded. "Okay, well today Paris comes up to me and says that she had a good time and thought that there might have been another date in the future. When Tristan walks in, she goes over to tell him how much fun she had and to see if they can set up a definite time to do it again."

"Makes sense so far, where does the problem come in?" Lorelei asked.

"Just listen. Well, Tristan apparently says they should definitely hang out together… as friends." Rory said the last two words as if they were the worst words to ever be spoken by man.

"Oh boy. _DUMB_ boy," Lorelei corrected as she settled more comfortably on the inn's sofa. She shook her head disparagingly. "The things men do."

"Yeah, and that's not the worst part. He apparently told her that I had arranged the whole thing."

"REALLY dumb boy!"

"Extremely. So Paris ripped into me and I went to talk to Tristan. He said that he didn't think it was fair to go out with her when he liked someone else."

"He regained smart points with that, but only a few. He could have broken it to her more gently."

"Agreed. Now, here is my problem-"

"Beyond the whole Paris no longer liking you thing?"

"Yes. When he said he liked someone else… I thought he might have been referring to me." Rory admitted. "And earlier in the conversation, when he had said it just didn't work between him and Paris, I felt a little happy that he was still free."

Lorelei studied her daughter's shamed face. "This sounds serious."

Rory sighed. "I think it is, but it's _seriously_ big trouble." She leaned back and looked at her mother. "What do you think?" Lorelei contemplated the situation in her head and then analyzed the best way to present it to her sensitive daughter. What she was about to say was not going to be easy for her to accept.

"Rory, I think-"

Michel glared at the pair as he interrupted the moment. "You irritated poochie asks that you return to the desk before he terrorizes one of the guests." He again stalked off to the reception desk, his nose cleaving the air in front of him. Lorelei cast an apologetic look at her daughter before heading to deal with the customer. Fifteen minutes later the irate gentleman had left and so had Rory. Lorelei found a note tacked to the back of the sofa. Reading her daughter's neat handwriting, she smiled softly before heading to the kitchen. This was an occasion that called for coffee.

_Tristan's House…_

Tristan lay on his bed wearing his casual clothes: lounge pants and an oversized hooded sweatshirt. His hands were clasped under his head and he stared without sight at the ceiling. He glanced at the digital clock that rested beside his bed: 7:02. It was still early in the evening yet but he had nothing to do. He had finished his homework, eaten dinner, read a book for school and had flipped through the channels on TV. Nothing worth watching was on. He was bored.

Normally about now he would call a girl to keep him company, but he didn't want that anymore. He had made a tentative friendship with Rory and associating with the girls of his past gave him a sick feeling of un-cleanliness. He scoffed at himself when he realized he wanted to make himself _worthy_ of her. _Worthy_ of a girl who didn't know he was interested in him, he sneered mentally. Frustrated with the thought he sat up and headed into the computer room. He would browse the internet, then. That should keep him occupied. Just as he was logging onto his e-mail account he heard the maid turn on some music in the front room. She sang along with the words, oblivious to the sullen boy sitting at his computer. The music was achingly sweet and mellow and floated into his room to whisper tantalizingly around his ears.

"_So many times I've seen So many people's dreams,_

_Lost and washed away out to the sea, yeah._

_I said "No, not I, pain would surely pass me by._

_Happening to them, but not to me, yeah."_

Tristan laughed harshly and leaned back in his chair. How true! He'd always been breaking the hearts in school. Now Rory had broken his with her indifference and callousness. It probably wasn't deliberate, but that only made the pain worse. It had no viable outlet. Resigned to listening to the rest of the song, Tristan stayed in his chair.

"_Hearts gets broken all the time._

_Never used to worry about things like this. _

_But the trouble is now I'm worrying,_

_See the problem is the heart is mine._

_Love would be all I'd need… How naïve could I be?_

_Trusting other people with my care, yeah._

_Never thought I'd have to be one of love's casualties._

_Up until now my belief was that love was fair."_

Not entirely true. He hadn't truly believed in love. He hadn't had an experience with it beyond fairy tales. Yet Tristan had felt something more solid in his love for Rory. Had it been the love of fairy tales and the song? Had he acted a naïve fool?

"_Hearts gets broken all the time._

_Never used to worry about things like this, _

_But the trouble is now I'm worrying,_

_See the problem is the heart is mine._

_This time my heart's breaking, this time my love's failing._

_I'm trying hard not to be bitter now._

_I never dreamed that the broken heart would be mine._

_Hearts gets broken all the time,_

_Never used to worry about things like this. _

_But the trouble is now I'm worrying,_

_See the problem is the heart is mine._

_This time it's mine, this one is mine, the heart is mine…"_

He smiled sadly. Tristan did hold the deed for one broken heart and it wasn't a pleasant sensation. He shook off the effects of the song and stood up. He was slightly disgusted with himself for allowing a crooner to affect him this way. He was Tristan Dugray, he could overcome this. _Can you,_ his conscience asked? Tristan ignored the whisper and opened his bedroom door. He stared in surprise at Rory, whose hand was raised in preparation to knock. Their eyes devoured each other before each retreated behind indifferent shells.

"What are you doing here? Couldn't wait until tomorrow to ream me out again?" Tristan leered, inwardly sickened by his attitude. _The best defense is a good offense_, he thought in an attempt to explain his lewdness. Resolve hardened her gaze and infused her voice with steel.

"May I come in? We need to talk." Without waiting for agreement she shoved him aside. Stunned he followed her into his bedroom and watched her take in the surroundings. Deciding to see his room from Rory's eyes, Tristan looked at his bedroom again.

A large four poster bed stood proudly at the north wall. The dark green covers were slightly mussed from his earlier musings on it. A tall bureau stood next to his entertainment center on the south wall. The walls were a pleasing cream that blended well with the deep greens. The wood added a touch of brown that accentuated the masculinity of the room.

"Well? Is it what you imagined?" Tristan sneered. Rory faced him squarely.

"No, I thought I'd find a bunch of Playboy posters on the wall. I'm glad that your room shows more class than your locker." The cutting look she directed his way reminded him of the Siamese twin picture he'd put in his locker as a lark. He didn't want to explain that to her now, when he so desperately wanted her. He was a very confused boy.

"What do you want to talk about?" He crossed his arms, propped up a foot on the wall and leaned back. His stance shouted 'delinquent youth' but the tension radiating off him in waves belied his nervousness.

"I want to talk about what happened earlier between us after Paris left angry." Rory began pacing as she formulated her thoughts. "You said you like someone else, but when I mentioned Summer you seemed incredulous. I don't believe it was due to my amazing deductive skills but rather that someone normally considered smart would reach such an idiotic conclusion. Then that started bugging me. Who could you have been referring to? I racked my brain but it kept coming back to how I'd been happy you didn't like Paris as more than a friend after all_._"

"You were happy about that?" Tristan asked hopefully. She glared at him for interrupting without slowing down.

"Yes and that was something else that bugged me. I mean, I should have been hurt for Paris' sake, and I was a little, but the happiness had no explanation. I talked to my mom about what happened and how I felt-"

"You told your mom about me?" Tristan uncrossed his arms and stood up straight, more hope flooding him.

"Stop interrupting and yes, I did. Now, she didn't have a chance to tell me what she thought (Michel called her away) but simply having a sounding board allowed me to realize why I was feeling what I was feeling."

"Which was?"

"Stop interrupting if you want to hear my conclusion!" Rory huffed, standing still for a moment with her hands on her hips. She looked so cute to Tristan, her eyes shining with her determination to relay her conclusions he once again subsided.

"Thank you… where was I? Oh, yes, a sounding board. Well, realizing how and why I felt that way, I headed over to Dean's to talk with him." Tristan grumbled at the mention of Dean but she continued anyway. "I told him how I felt and he wasn't happy-" that made _Tristan_ happy-" but I was firm in my decision. Now, I have to tell you how I feel but I find I'm worrying that I read you wrong and that I'm going to embarrass myself now, so I've decided to let you make the first move."

Tristan and she stared uncertainly at each other for a while before she snapped, "Are you going to make a move or what?"

Tristan stepped forward uneasily. "I would if I knew how you felt."

"Oh, for goodness sake! I just spent the better part of five minutes telling you!"

"No, you didn't. You just told me how you came to find out how you felt, not if it was revulsion, love, lust or like." Tristan calmly overrode Rory's irritation. She threw her hands in the air and made a strangled sound in her throat. She strode towards him and stopped directly in front of him. When his blue eyes met hers she stated quite clearly, "I like you and would like to go out with you."

"Why Mary," Tristan grinned slowly as his arms wrapped firmly around her waist, "you only had to say so." He once more interrupted her, but this method was far better than words and more effective at keeping her attention. They kissed with greed for a long time until the grandfather clock tolled the time: 7:30. He tenderly drew back from their passionate embrace. His hand encased hers and the simple contact made her smile.

"Rory, will you go out with me?" She looked at him, confused.

"I thought I asked you out."

An aggrieved expression flashed across his face before he corrected her. "My reputation could never stand up to that. No, you told me you wanted to go out with me. Because I have such great and amazing executive skills, I acted on the information and asked _you _to go out with _me_."

Rory rolled her eyes before smiling into his earnest eyes. "Yes, Tristan, I will go out with you."

"Seal that promise," he asked huskily, leaning down for another kiss. He had the thought later that evening, after having reluctantly seen her home, that there was something else that happened to everyone else but not to him until that night: he'd found true love. Rolling his eyes at his foolishness, Tristan climbed into his warm car but couldn't resist looking at Rory's window for one last glimpse of her until tomorrow.

_Author's Note: I hope you like this story as much as the others. I'm sorry Rory seemed a little bit like Paris in the confession scene, but I couldn't write it any other way and have it seem okay. Let me know what you think!_


	2. From This Moment On

_Disclaimer: I own none of the character's from "Gilmore Girls." Nor the song "Here and Now" by Luther Vandross. This is just an attempt on my part of how I believe the piano scene _should_ have gone. It's my first "Gilmore Girls" fanfic so let me know what you think. Oh, and those of you who have not heard 'Hear and Now' by Luther Vandross, please find it and listen to it. It is a great song._

_Scene: Rory just told Tristan about the break-up between her and Dean._

**From This Moment On**

Tristan stared at his clenched hand and prayed his questions wouldn't offend. He needed to know how the ground lay concerning Rory. "Do you think you'll ever get back together?" Tristan asked as he tinkered with the piano. He didn't want to see her face when she expressed her hopes of a future involvement with Bagboy. He didn't think he could take that.

Rory sighed as she looked at her hands. "He was pretty set in his decision." She missed the look of relief that flashed across Tristan's face before he looked at her with concern.

"Hey…" he began softly. Rory looked up. "I'm sorry, for giving you such a hard time for a while."

"Oh, that's okay."

"It is?"

"No, but you're sad." Rory's smile flashed as she gently teased Tristan. He laughed huskily before looking at Rory again. It was now or never…

"Rory, you said…" he cleared his voice before continuing. "You said _he_ was pretty set in his decision. What about you? Are you okay with it?" Tristan flinched visibly as the last word left his mouth. It sounded almost insensitive but he just… needed to know.

Rory sat silently for awhile before swiveling on the piano bench. She began to toy with the keys. Combined with Tristan's playing, the notes formed a discordant sound until they finally blended together into a complex melody that was almost sweet.

Even as he attempted to keep up with Rory, Tristan waited anxiously for an answer to his question. If Rory expressed a desire to go out with Dean again, then he would try to remain on the friendship level. But if she didn't… who knew? Yet he knew what he wished.

Rory began talking to the piano keys. It was easier to believe she was confiding in an inanimate object than in Tristan.

"Dean told me he loved me." Tristan seemed to brace himself until she continued talking. "When I couldn't say it back… he broke it off. Maybe I'm a little bit romantic but is seems to me that a person shouldn't do that. I mean, I could understand some indignation or hurt but anger? It threw me off. I'm hurt, too, that he'll end something that was going well for three months this way."

She trailed off when she realized she was staring into Tristan's earnest blue eyes. She couldn't remember looking up from the piano keys but at one point she apparently had. She felt a pressure on her hand and looked down. She was shocked and a little happy to find Tristan's hand holding hers. As she watched, his tanned hand gently squeezed her pale one.

"Rory, I'm sorry-"she cut him off as she quickly began shaking her head.

"No, _I'm_ sorry. You said you didn't want to talk about your break-up and yet here I am talking about_ mine_. That isn't fair to you. I'm sorry for bringing it up. You obviously aren't in the mood to hear all of this. I promise I had no intention of hurting you. I should just-"a tanned finger laid against her lips stopped her babbling. This time when her eyes met his, Tristan's were laughing. He smiled a genuine smile before absent-mindedly tracing the outline of her lips with the pad of his finger.

"Rory, I was going to say I'm sorry that you had to go through that. I appreciate the concern for me, but honestly I think it's just hurt pride more than hurt feelings. I wasn't romantically interested in Summer outside of lust. You, however, had a vested interest in the outcome of your relationship with

Dean. I wish I could say that I'm sorry you two didn't work out but I'd be lying." His eyes were following the path his finger was taking around her lips. Under her bottom lip, over the slight lift in the corners of her lips, into the indentation of the upper lip, over and over again. Rory watched him watch his finger. She saw his eyes go from light with humor, to dusky with desire until they were dark with want and… something hidden.

As he slid his hand to the nape of her neck, they leaned towards each other at the same time. Their lips meshed without an awkward readjustment of their heads. Their bodies acted on instinct, as if they knew each other and were comfortable with the knowledge. His free arm snuck around her back, bringing her torso flush against his where they sat on the bench. Her hands slid up his arms and buried themselves in his luscious hair. The added caresses caused ripples of pleasure to spread through both Rory and Tristan, causing them to tighten their embrace on the other simultaneously.

Tristan's lips were soft and persuasive as they cruised over Rory's. They begged for more of her even as they took from her. His tongue darted out and achingly caressed her bottom lip, asking, begging, pleading for admission. Without hesitation Rory opened for him. She wasn't prepared for his response.

Rather than an immediate attack on her mouth, his tongue slid almost shyly in. It played with hers and abandoned it to rediscover the outline of her lips before entering again. It stroked her own tongue, making her moan in her throat as she tried to get closer. This time her tongue entered his mouth and toyed with his. Tristan made a sound that was almost a growl. He shifted, attempting to bring Rory over to sit on his lap.

The movement made his arm crash into the piano keys. The harsh chord shocked both teens and they separated guiltily. They glanced at the piano, then at each other. Noticing the slick redness of Rory's lips, Tristan licked his own and almost moaned at the sweet taste of her.

"Rory…" he tried but she simply cut him off again with a shake of her head. "But, we have to talk." He pleaded, uneasy because of the knot in his stomach.

Rory pressed her hand against her own stomach, attempting to lighten the pressure there. "Not yet. Let's just… sit for awhile. I need to collect my thoughts so we can be clear about this." Tristan nodded sadly, keeping his eyes on hers. Trying to avoid the truth burning its way out of his eyes, Rory stood up and looked out the window. Lights flickered down the driveway, laughter and music indicated the party was still in full swing and Tristan had begun playing with the piano again. This time, however, he was playing an actual song.

Even though it was an R&B song, it struck a memory chord for Rory. She turned to face Tristan's back as he played. When he started to sing, her heart almost broke.

"_One look in your eyes and there I see,_

_Just what you mean to me. _

_Here in my heart I believe your love is all I'll ever need._

_Holding you close through the night_

_I need you._

_I look at your eyes and there I see_

_What happiness really means._

_The love that we share makes life so sweet._

_Together we'll always be._

_This special love feels so right and, oh, I need you._

_Here and now, I promise to love faithfully._

_You're all I'll ever need._

_Here and now, I vow to be one with thee._

_Your love is all I need._

_When I look in your eyes, there I see,_

_All that a love should really mean._

_And I need you more, more each day_

_Nothing can take your love away._

_More than I dare to dream, I need you._

_Here and now, I promise to love faithfully._

_You're all I need_

_Here and now I vow to be one with thee._

_Your love is all I need."_

Rory was crying when Tristan finished singing. He stood and hugged her into his body. He repeated the most vital words of the song into her ear as he stroked her hair. "Here and now, I promise to love faithfully. You're all I need. Here and now, I vow to be one with thee. Your love is all I need." He kissed her temple before leaning back to stare into her eyes. He caught a tear as it escaped the corner of one eye. He smiled crookedly.

"I can't be any clearer than that. I love you, Rory. I've been trying to find a way to express it for awhile now, but I've found my technique is too outdated for trying to get a girl you really want. I know you don't care for me the same way I do for you, but I'm willing to wait it out. If, after time passes, you've decided you don't want to be with me anymore, I'll be okay with that. I just… want you for however long I can have you."

His eyes burned into hers, attempting to brand her with the veracity of his speech. Seeing the trust in her blue gaze, he sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. The close proximity made the vision of each other blurry, but he wanted the impression of togetherness. When Rory began to move in his embrace, he felt disappointed but immediately began to let her go. He would never hold her against her will. When she kept her arms firmly locked around his waist, Tristan looked at her questioningly. Rory merely smiled before leaning up to kiss him on his cheek.

"When I look in your eyes, there I see all that a love should really mean. And I need you more and more each day. Nothing can take your love away. More than I dare to dream, I need you. Here and now-" his arms tightened reflexively around her as he buried his face in her hair. Rory's smile grew as she continued, "I promise to love faithfully. Here and now I vow to be one with thee. Your love is all I need."

Unable to hold himself any longer, he began kissing her face softly. "Are you sure, Rory? You won't regret this in the morning when Dean calls begging to have you back? You won't break it off with me because I'm your rebound or anything like that, will you?" He pressed his lips against the hectic pulse at the base of her neck and simply held them there. Rory threaded her fingers through his hair as she smiled sadly.

"No, Tristan, I won't. I told you I couldn't say it back to Dean. It's because I didn't love him. I'd fallen in love with someone else: you. You constantly showed me sides of you that intrigued me before you covered them with the flirtatious and egotistical side that infuriated me."

"I really do like to flirt with you," he mumbled into her throat. "And the ego bit isn't true. I really am like that." He straightened up and locked his hands at the small of her back.

Rory rolled her eyes before smiling. "Yes, I appreciate that now, but then I didn't know how much I liked you. I only knew that it infuriated me I was being treated the same way every other girl was in our class. I wanted to be different for you, but I didn't understand why at the time. Now, I do."

"Rory, you've have been different for me. I called you Mary at the beginning to stake a claim on you but now it's a sign of affection and respect." He brought his hands in between their bodies and clasped hers within them. "Does this mean you'll be my girl?"

"How archaic of you. I will be your _girlfriend_ but _your girl_ sounds rather possessive, doesn't it?"  
Tristan shrugged. "I plan on being very possessive with you." At Rory's arched eyebrow he grinned. "Not the 'where are you?' possessive but the 'don't touch her, she's mine' possessive. Again, will you be my girl?" he accompanied his request with a sweet kiss she didn't want to break off. When he began to back off, she leaned forward and made her lips cling lovingly to his. He hummed with pleasure.

"If I can be the 'he's mine, don't touch him' possessive then we have a deal." Rory bargained. Tristan's smirk lit up his eyes as he once more leaned down to her.

"From here on out." He promised. "My girl," he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "My girlfriend" as he kissed her cheek; "My Rory" as he kissed the corner of her mouth; "My Mary" as he finally kissed her lips. Rory smiled against his lips for a moment until she was swept up in the power of the kiss.

Neither noticed the departure of guests or the end of the music. They were intent on acting out the promises made to each other: to love each other faithfully from this moment on.

_Author's Note: please read and review! I would love to hear your thoughts. _


	3. Need No More

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything that comes from "Gilmore Girls" or Luther Vandross._

_Author's Note: I had planned on keeping it a one shot, but I've decided to do a set of revisions to scenes between Rory and Tristan as they should have gone. Please continue to review and tell me what you think._

_Thanks to Curley-Q, Kate, KariandTK, Sleeping to Dream About You, chezzybabe, LoVe23, lexie9890 and Jeremy Shane for reviewing!_

_Scene: Tristan has left for military academy. It has been approximately three months since the Romeo and Juliet play. The piano scene went according to the show, not my version (confound it!)_

**Need No More**

Tristan strolled down the hallway stuffed full of boys and girls in heavily starched camouflage. He was laughing with some friends as they headed to their final class of the day: English. If the sound of his laughter was a bit forced, no one commented on it. He responded half-heartedly to the various flirtations of the many girls who sought to replace his one and only. They couldn't comprehend the depth of feeling he'd had for the girl he'd left behind.

Ever since he had started attending the Eisenhower Military Academy, rumors had spread of his player reputation at Chilton. Girls who had already tried every boy in their class chased after Tristan's company, hoping to be the first to test his experience. When he failed to respond to their obvious tactics with anything other than humor and friendship, the gossips had dug shamelessly for the reason.

They had found out the reason was Rory Gilmore, otherwise known as Mary to Tristan. As he sat in his seat, the whispers flowed around him. Apparently the king of Chilton had fallen hard for Rory, a girl not only immune to his brand of charm, but attached to another boy. After having settled on an uneasy friendship, he had gotten into trouble and had been shipped here before the two were able to progress to something more.

Tristan knew they were talking about him. He could feel their eager eyes on the back of his neck. He hadn't let his irritation with the attention show, but he wished a new rumor or intrigue would surface. As he clicked his mechanical pencil, he smiled as he realized the irony. Not too long ago, Rory had probably felt the same irritation with the Chilton students.

A slash of pain lanced through him as he thought of Rory. He had said goodbye to her at the Romeo and Juliet play, but he often found himself wishing he could turn and find her with her head buried in a book. Simply seeing her would surely ease the ache in his chest… but she had a boyfriend. She had no need of him and he wouldn't set himself up as the best friend secretly in love. He wasn't a masochist.

"Hey, man, the kickboxing sign-up sheets are up. You going to join?" James Dillabough asked, leaning over Tristan's left shoulder. He saw where Tristan had written 'Mary?' on his paper.

"Dude, are you still thinking of her? She must have been really good for you to still be obsessing over her for three months. It's not healthy, you know." James was forced to sit back when Tristan swiveled in his seat. The blue eyes seemed to freeze James' tongue.

"I've told you it wasn't like that. Stop talking to me about her. You couldn't try understand." Just then the teacher walked in and started class. James was given a reprieve, but not for long. Tristan joined the kickboxing club and James ended up as his partner. One hour after school practicing with Tristan, James was forced to limp to a steam bath to relieve his aching muscles.

Tristan remained in the gym, consistently punching the swinging bag. He couldn't believe the insinuations James had made towards Rory. She was pure, clean and lovely. _Beautiful_ was the best way to describe her but it had been worn weak by constant use in the world. Finally, Tristan settled on his favored moniker for her; it epitomized everything she stood for in his life: _Mary._

Mary: pure, virginal, beautiful, sacred, honored, revered, respected, lovely, charming, hallowed and treasured. She was all of those and more. A swift roundhouse kick rocked the bag on its chain. Mary was also someone else's, he reminded himself furiously. A quick succession of punches, then a combination of intricate kicks helped him release his pent up tension. Breathing hard and wiping the sweat from his brow, he turned and began to head towards the locker room for a shower.

Even in the shower and while he dressed, he found Rory in the back of his mind. He toweled his hair fiercely and went to collect his duffel bag. The sight of feminine shoes encasing delicate feet standing beside his duffel halted him. Confused, he followed the line of slender legs outlined with dark blue socks up to a blue plaid skirt, then a blue sweater with the Chilton crest emblazoned on the left side to a pair of blue eyes that never failed in freezing his thought processes.

"Hey." She smiled shyly at him. His knees trembled and he kept staring at her eyes, unable to comprehend the fact that she was standing in front of him. At his silence, her smile faltered.

"Um, your friend, I think his name was Michael, said you were probably still in here. I watched you attack the bag for a while, but you didn't notice me. I didn't mind, it was nice to rest after the long drive, but I couldn't get your attention when you headed into the um…" embarrassed, she motioned towards the locker room. As if attached by a string, his eyes followed her hand before returning to her eyes. Blushing more now, she continued to trip over her tongue.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say hi and talk to you about what's new in Chilton. I haven't seen you in so long and we didn't have a chance to really say good bye or anything like that, so when I told my mother I wanted to see you she found out where you were now from my grandmother who talked to my grandfather who talked to your grandfather and your grandfather wants me to tell you that he hopes you get to come home soon and I think that would be great, I mean, if you could come, because then you could come over to my house and meet my mom, who demands an introduction-" she was blushing hard now while she stared at her toe. It was trying to gouge a hole in the floor.

"Why?" Finally his vocal chords worked to force the harsh word out. He cleared his throat and threw the towel down on his duffel. He tried again. "Why does your mother want to meet me?"

If possible, Rory only blushed more. "Umm… because I told her about you?" she offered to her shoe. Tristan began to see the humor in the situation and smirked as his arms crossed over his chest.

"Why did you tell her about me?" he asked next.

Rory studied the gym, still refusing to meet his questioning eyes with her own. "I had to give her a reason as to why I broke up with Dean."

He stepped forward eagerly and she finally met his eyes with her own. His hands tensed with the need to grab her into his arms. "Why would you break up with Dean over me?" He waited anxiously for her answer.

Finally Rory grew tired of the questions. "What, did military school cause you to regress to a four-year old? 'Why, why, why?'" she muttered angrily. She turned to stride away but his hand caught her wrist and used her momentum to spin her into his arms. He locked his arms firmly around her, rendering her struggles fruitless.

"Let go of me!" she ordered. He simply waited for her to stop wiggling. When she simmered in his arms, he began again.

"Why did you say you broke up with Dean because of me?" he asked again. She glared at him before looking over his shoulder as she answered him.

"I couldn't get you out of my head when you left. He'd go to kiss me or hug me and your last comment would float through my mind. _I'd kiss you good-bye but your boyfriend is watching_." She quoted it from memory. Tristan remembered the self-control he'd had to inflict on himself when he had made that promise. Ignorant of his wistful remembrance Rory continued. "I'd think, 'stupid Dean, you ruined my chance.' Which is completely ridiculous, you only wanted to torment me and then add me to your long list of ex-girlfriends." He opened his mouth to refute that last statement but she hushed him. "You wanted an explanation, I'm giving it."

"I started thinking back and went through all of our encounters. I talked about them with my mother, who doubles as my psychiatrist (scary thought). She reminded me that in elementary school a boy would only pick on me if he really liked me. I thought: what if Tristan was doing that and I missed the signs? Then I remembered the scene in the classroom after your date with Paris." He flinched remembering. She smiled. "You said you liked someone else and you had such an earnest look on your face, almost as if you were pleading with me to realize something. I thought it was your pain over Summer. You wanted me to realize you liked me, right?" She overrode his response. "Now, seeing you shock at my being here, I have reached the humiliating realization that you never liked me that way. I'm sorry, I'll just go ahead and leave." When he kept his arms around her, she prompted, "You can let go of me now."

Tristan smiled almost apologetically when he answered her. "No, I can't really." She opened her mouth with a furious retort resting on her tongue but he beat her to it. "You see, I had come to the conclusion that you were better off without me and that you didn't want me anyway. All of my flirting, teasing and tentative offers of friendship never got through your continued refusal of me. I thought that coming to military school would help the fire I feel towards you calm down. It didn't. I envied every guy at Chilton who would see you and have the opportunity to interact with you. I envied Dean and his chance to date you. I envied everyone who would be around you and I don't know who they even were! But now that you have confessed to liking me, I can feel free to confess that I like you too. Probably more than is normal for a teenager, but it's there nonetheless."

He waited for Rory to respond to his confession but she simply kept her head against his shoulder. Tristan began to worry. "Rory? Mare? You did mean that you like me, right? That's what the whole speech thing was about, right?" He felt her shaking and leaned back to try and see her face. He saw the tears and started to babble in fear.

"Oh crap! I'm sorry Mary, I shouldn't have pushed this on you right now. I mean, you said that you had just broken up with Bagboy but-" Rory started laughing out loud at the confusion on Tristan's face. She weakly waved a hand in front of her face, trying to calm him down.

"Hold o-on" she wheezed between laughs. "Just let me finish l-laughing!" She laughed so hard her stomach hurt, while Tristan replayed his confession speech in his mind. Unable to find the reason for her laughter, he waited it out.

She let out a breath when the chuckles finally subsided then pulled him down beside her on the floor. Trying to assure himself of her presence, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Now will you explain or do I try and salvage my ego?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "Your ego needs no help. A little humiliation could actually make it easier for the rest of us breathe when you're in the room."

"I admit, my looks are breath-taking, but that's a little off-subject. Why were you laughing?" She punched him light-heartedly on the shoulder for his smart aleck remark before replying.

"First of all, I do like you and would be honored if we began a serious relationship, however serious _you_ can be in a relationship. Second of all, do you remember when I told you that my mother _demanded_ an introduction?" A giggle escaped her before she could prevent it. The relief that had swept Tristan from her first statement was set aside by her second one.

"Yeah, I remember. I think when I come back for the holidays then I can meet her. But I still don't find what's so funny about that…" Rory merely pointed behind him. He looked over his shoulder and then froze in shock.

On the opposite end of where he and Rory sat, Lorelei stood with a tape recorder, a video camera and a notebook. She had set the video camera up on a stand to catch the moment on tape and then recorded the conversation to play in the car to embarrass Rory. The notebook was for all the questions she had for Tristan. She looked up inquiringly when the conversation stopped.

"What?" she asked innocently. "You didn't think I would actually wait until she came _home_ to tell me did you?" an expression of horror crossed her face. "No way! That's not for _two days!_ I'll just find out now and bug you two for the next couple of days. Continue," she ordered, waving her hand imperiously and returning her attention to the notebook.

Tristan stared at Rory. "You saw her when I was making my big speech and you didn't tell me about it?" Rory simply nodded, already laughing again. "God, I'm so embarrassed. But, do you think it helps my case with her?"

"No, your case was made when Rory told me about you." Lorelei answered for her daughter, deciding to join the couple. "You don't have the chance for defense."

"Not even cross-examination of the primary witness?" Tristan asked, motioning towards Rory. Lorelei laughed at his retort before answering: "No. But you can always bribe the judge…"

Rory perked up. "Coffee?" Lorelei nodded. "Definitely."

Tristan rolled his eyes and stood, offering a hand to Rory. "Fine, but can Rory and I have a moment? We'll join you in the hallway."

"Don't do anything I would and beware: I'm short on caffeine so time is precious."

"Yeah, well, I'm short on time with Rory so I have more reason to treasure it."

"Smooth." Lorelei complimented as she sashayed out the door. Tristan shook his head and met Rory's sparkling eyes.

"I like your mom a lot." He gathered her close in his arms. "But I like you more." He brushed a gentle kiss on her lips. "And you like me, right?"

"Right." She returned the gentle kiss with interest. He hummed with pleasure as she sighed softly. "So…"

"So… we're together now?"

"Yep." Another kiss.

"And you won't flirt with Bagboy or any other male specimen?"

"Well, I don't know… the male gnome in Babette's yard is pretty-"a more forceful kiss cut her off. "Non-interesting," she finished breathlessly. He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"You won't flirt with any female specimen will you?" she asked, imitating his voice as best she could. He kissed her hard enough to bring a blush to her cheeks. "Nope, you won't." He stopped the questions with a foray into her warm mouth. Their tongues were too busy tangling, sliding and rubbing to form anymore unnecessary questions.

And really, Lorelei thought from where she stood recording the loving kiss, they didn't need any more assurance they loved each other.

_Author's Note: This is just a scene rewritten with my ideas. Tell me what you think!_


	4. Confrontations

_Author's Note: This short story is slightly AU. I have changed the timing of Tristan asking Rory to the PJ Harvey concert to after school. I hope it doesn't confuse you too much. Thanks for all the review and I hope you enjoy this part too!_

**Confrontations**

The tantalizing scent of his cologne warned Rory of Tristan's approach. She inhaled deeply to treasure the inherently masculine fragrance before he came into her line of vision.

"You should decorate this thing," he suggested, leaning against a neighboring locker.

"I did." Rory refused to look at him until she had her defenses in place. The kiss from the other night played on a continuous loop in her mind.

"I mean with something other than a bunch of dead black and white women."

"Like what? Curtains?" Flippancy helped Rory keep her voice under control. His scent… it wrapped its fragrant fingers around her and tugged mercilessly. She could feel her temperature rising.

"You know what I mean. Hey, I did mine."

Irritation loosened the hold on her tongue. "Yeah, I saw that. The picture of the naked Siamese twins was particularly classy." She deliberately ignored the thrill that raced up her spine at his laughter.

"Do you know what these are?" Tristan asked. Rory glanced over.

"They look like tickets."

"To PJ Harvey."

Rory was floored. The voice in the back of her mind that sounded suspiciously like her mother whispered,_ See? You have something in common._

"Wow, you have good taste, I'll give you that."

"You like PJ Harvey, don't you?" Tristan asked casually. Inside he felt anything but casual. His stomach was tying itself in knots as he waited to see how this played out. In his fantasies, she was ecstatic to go out with him. But fantasies were often just that: fantasies.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Rory felt a ripple of pleasure that he might have asked around about her likes and dislikes. Why she enjoyed the thought that Tristan might like to know more about her mind than her measurements, she had a sneaking suspicion but was scared to fully acknowledge it.

"Oh, I'm all-knowing." Tristan kept up the light dialogue to avoid how desperate he was to have Rory. He had questioned people who saw her every day to find out what she listened to at lunch or who she displayed an interest in.

"How god-like of you." Rory felt the pleasure morph into sluggish disappointment. He was only being a player again. Her measurements again won out over her mind. Annoyed she slammed her locker shut.

"One of these is for you." The knot in his stomach tightened as he offered her a ticket.

The voice insider her head screamed _Yes!_ Rory heard her own voice say, "Oh, I don't think we should go to a concert together." Inner-voice whined, _Why? He might surprise you._

Tristan echoed the inner-voice's inquiry. "Reason?"

"It would seem like a date." _Duh_, Lorelei screamed in her mind. _You want to date Tristan, you know you do._

"Well, it would seem like a date because, it would be a date." Tristan tried to offer her a ticket again. His stomach would never be the same after this. He was putting way more on the line here than he had ever before.

"I can't date you Tristan!" _Yes you can._ Rory seriously considered banging her head against her locker to dislodge her mother's voice from her mind. She was so confused. She missed Dean, she also enjoyed being apart, she wanted to date Tristan and she wanted her mother's voice to stop encouraging her to do something different for a change.

"I give you permission." Idiot, he castigated himself after the words left his mouth. That wasn't what appealed to a girl like Rory. He could literally see the distaste on her face at his player-like flirting.

"And on that note," Rory said, moving to walk away from him. Fear welled in his throat on having lost his final chance to have this girl who fascinated him. He remembered once teasing her about being in love with her and having dreams of her keep him up at night. Like a prophecy, he thought bitterly, it had come true. He grabbed onto her wrist like it was a lifeline. She tensed in response to the warmth that shot to the pit of her stomach at the contact. He didn't notice as he continued, "I not only give you permission, I'm asking you to give me an actual chance with you." She shrewdly studied his face, searching for a hint of dishonesty. She couldn't find any.

Tristan sensed her wavering and pressed. "I promise to be on my best behavior. I'll meet you mom and everything. Scout's honor." He saluted with two fingers, inwardly castigating himself for promising to meet her mother. He would have to now and most parents didn't like him.

"Were you even a Boy scout?" Rory asked before she could stop herself. Her inner-voice whispered:_ So what? One concert won't stop the world from turning. Take a chance._

Tristan smiled an incredibly slow and gentle smile. "I wasn't but I still promise to be on my best behavior. Call it a matter of family honor."

Before Rory could accept the invitation Paris stormed up with Louise and Madeleine flanking her. Her eyes took in the smile Tristan still wore and his hand on Rory's wrist. The battle light flared in her blue eyes.

"Adding a notch to your bed post, Tristan?" she inquired icily. Rory tensed against the attack and narrowed her eyes as she prepared to answer. Tristan beat her to it.

"Jealous because your name didn't make it?" His voice was cool and controlled yet his grip on Rory's arm was fierce and warm. Rory tried to reclaim possession of her arm but he wouldn't let go.

Paris glared harder at the boy she had loved for so many years. "I have better taste than to accept something that's been used so often."

Tristan merely smirked as he slung an arm around Rory and leaned against her. His casual strength prevented her from escaping. "Yeah, well, that's what makes Rory so special to me. She's not so bitter to refuse help to a person who needs rehabilitation." His smile was a cool and sharp steel knife. "You know about being bitter, don't you Paris?"

Furious and frustrated, Rory succeeded in throwing his arm off of her. How infuriating! Tristan was using her to hurt Paris. Although she would readily admit to anyone that she wasn't a fan of Paris, she still didn't like hurting others. She planted her hands on her hips as she lit into each of them.

"You two seriously need a new past time other than using me to fight. Paris, we get along fine until Tristan comes up. Then you're as friendly as barbed wire. I'm fed up with it! Either you're going to make an effort to get along with me or we draw the battle lines now." She paused and waited for Paris to answer but the girl stood sullen and silent.

"And you!" she vented as she faced Tristan. His smirk slid off in astonishment. "I'm tired of you acting as if I'm nothing more than another 'notch on the bed post.' You won't get me if that's why you want me. Be clear about your intentions or back-off!" He stood stunned and silent.

Embarrassed and furious, she stormed off towards the bus stop. She was already beginning to regret being so hard on Tristan. She should have at least given him a chance to counter her and Paris's accusation that she was just another score. Lately she hadn't been very fair when it came to letting people explain themselves. She should let them explain more often instead of just making assumptions and leaving. However, when she saw Dean standing by his truck, all her newfound insights fled as she remembered her hurt from his treatment. She marched towards the inevitable confrontation like a warrior. Dean stood straight when he saw her coming.

"Rory-" he began in a kicked-puppy voice. Simply the sound grated on her vexed nerves.

"What, Dean? I'm ready to go home, I've had a frustrating day and I'm still not over it."

Dean pouted. Rory wanted to scream. A 6'2" male should not pout just because his ex-girlfriend admitted to being mad.

"Rory, I wanted to talk to you about the other night. I'll drive you home so we'll have some privacy." He reached for her arm but she jerked it back. Everything seemed to be bothering her. The anger coursing through her rejected any touching. She felt as if her skin was stretched too tight and as if her temperature was soaring. Crossing her arms she held in the vibrating anger.

"No," she growled. "Tell me now what you have to say. Today is the day for clearing the air, it seems."

Dean shuffled his feet before mumbling, "I want you back." He glanced up under his lashes but Rory only raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because I miss you. Confound it, Rory, I love you!" Dean shouted. His own temper ignited as he tried to defend his request.

"You love me. Dean, you broke up with me because I didn't say it back to you. Personally, I think it was a wise decision. I don't love you and I'm glad we separated. I've realized that I latched onto you and didn't want to let you go because you were my first 'like.'"

"Are you trying to say you like someone else? It doesn't matter, Rory, you're my girlfriend!" Dean challenged.

"I _was_ your girlfriend. Past tense, for goodness sake. Pay attention in you English class." Rory offered callously. She winced inwardly at the harshness but was unable to hold back her tongue. It was as if this anger under her too-tight skin had removed all niceness from her personality and left only the brutal and bitter truth. _Sort of like _Liar Liar, she mused.

"Dean, we should stay separate. Friends we can do-"

"This isn't how it was supposed to be!" Dean exploded. He started pacing in front of her as he tried to get a handle on his temper. The people who had eagerly surrounded the feuding couple stepped back warily. Neither the girl nor the boy noticed the blonde boy who stepped forward as if to protect Rory should Dean forget himself.

"I know, Dean. We both thought we'd be together longer than this."

"No! You were supposed to find out how much you love me while we were separated, not find someone else to like!" He didn't notice the deadly calm that settled over Rory. Suddenly her skin wasn't stretched too tightly and her temperature wasn't too high, it was all just right. The ensuing calmness was slightly disquieting to the rude crowd. Rory had just accepted her bad mood, and the reason was she finally realized the motive behind Dean's actions.

"You mean you deliberately broke up with me so I would come running back, saying 'I love you Dean, please take me back?'" Her tone was almost politely curious.

"Yes!" Dean was glad she had finally caught on but he didn't realize how big of a hole he had dug himself: 6' by 6'.

"You were trying to manipulate me with love and heartache? How dare you!" Her voice lashed out now as she advanced on him. "I'm not a marionette whose strings you can jerk on for your own purposes, Dean. I'm a person who is fully aware of her own mind and capable of making my own decisions. So let me say this: we are _over_. I don't want you bothering me again."

She whirled on her foot and started towards the bus stop as anger slowly began seeping out of her, leaving behind an aching emptiness. When she got home, she needed to talk to Lorelei and maybe even wallow a little. A day like this called for it, she thought. A large hand stopped her progress.

"No you don't," Dean growled. "You are not going to humiliate me this way." Another hand, this one tan and supple with strength, pulled Dean's off of her. Tristan inserted himself between Rory and Dean, protecting her.

"Are you going to bother her, Bagboy, even after she's made it clear she doesn't want you anymore? She said to leave her alone. You might want to listen to Rory. Not listening is bad for your health."

Dean curled his lips in a sneer. "Tax time already? Let me get my paystubs." He shrugged Tristan's hand off of him. "I told you I'd kill you if you fought me. Is your will ready?" He took off his coat and tossed in onto the hood of his car.

Tristan handed his blazer to Rory and eagerly stepped forward. "I just hope the grocery store doesn't have a surplus of customers today." He sidestepped the wild punch Dean threw in response and threw one that caught Dean in the gut.

"Stop it!" Rory yelled. She found herself more annoyed than anything. That emptiness gave her a surreal detachment from the scene. "Dean, just leave!"

"Why?" he grunted as he grappled with Tristan. When he had Tristan pinned under him, Dean glanced up. "Is he the one you like now?" Tristan used the distraction to jam his elbow into Dean's ribs. Dean's breath whooshed out of him and then he was pinned under Tristan.

Tristan's glance speared Rory where she stood. His eyes had a feral quality that was predatory. "Well Rory?" he drawled. "Am I the one you like?" He struggled with Dean but managed to keep his eyes on Rory.

_Come on, Rory._ Her inner-voice urged._ You have to admit it. If you don't he'll get hurt._ But who am I worried about getting hurt? Rory asked silently as she watched the two boys exchange punches. She felt as if two people were in her head fighting, not on the ground. One insisted that her heart was broken by Dean's manipulations, the other that Tristan was a new part of her life. Tristan had been forced to pay attention to the fight again rather than hold Rory with his demanding gaze. She saw him take a fist on the chin and go down hard. Rory rapidly made up her mind when panic managed to break through her surreal detachment and confirmed that she cared more for Tristan than she had originally allowed herself to think.

"Stop it Dean! Yes, he's the one! Now leave him alone!" Rory tried to force them apart herself but Dean shoved her back.

"No, now I just have a better reason t-" a fist plowing against his cheek ended his sentence. Tristan now looked even more furious, if that were possible.

"Did you just_ push_ her?" he roared. He was hitting Dean steadily now, never giving the taller boy a chance to land another punch. "Don't you _ever_ touch her again, you-" the words he used to curse the stupid boy shocked Rory.

Some teachers finally showed up and forcefully pulled the two boys apart but Tristan didn't stop yelling. "You better leave her alone, Bagboy, or you'll end up in the hospital again." Dean was dragged off of the campus but Tristan had to answer a few questions.

"Mr. Dugrey, why were you engaged in such a blatant display of vulgarity just now?" The headmaster asked with disdain.

"Sir, that _person_," he almost spit the word, "threatened Miss Gilmore. He came here today with the express purpose of confronting Miss Gilmore. When she refused to go back out with him, having made her reason clear, she went to leave the premises to return home. He grabbed her and I interceded before he could harm her. Then he threatened me. I defended myself against him." The explanation plus the damp towel someone had found for him helped Tristan cool down.

The headmaster sniffed, unsatisfied with the explanation. "Miss Gilmore, is that what happened?" Rory was staring at Tristan and jumped when the headmaster addressed her.

"Uh, yes sir. That's what happened." She flushed over the possessive look Tristan was giving her now. He heard her admit that she liked him._ Well, that'll make it easier to go to the concert tonight_, Inner-Voice comforted. Rory groaned mentally at the thought.

"Fine then, but please keep your personal relationships from interfering with the school again. And don't think for a moment that this incident isn't going into your files." The headmaster waited for her to nod then he returned to his office. The rest of the student body dispersed as they eagerly gossiped about the fight. Soon only Tristan and Rory were left. Realizing that she was still holding his blazer she went to hand it to him.

"Here's your jacket and um… thanks for defending me." Rory whispered shyly. She couldn't make herself meet his burning gaze. She went to wait on the bench for the bus but a hand stopped her for the second time that day.

"Did you mean it?" His voice seemed deeper to her and sparked pleasure through her veins.

She pretended not to know what he was talking about. "Mean what?"

"That you like me." He tugged on her arm to make her face him but she just stared at their shoes. "Rory, please, tell me you meant it," he pleaded huskily.

"Why would it matter to you?" His finger lifted her gaze to his and she saw the truth in his eyes before he spoke it.

"Because I fell hard for you when you lectured me at your birthday party. I had already liked you more than was normal for me but I assumed that it was what you said, proving myself. Then you looked so beautiful when you were angry at me that my eyes opened. But you had already judged me," he smiled half-heartedly as he admitted this. It almost broke her heart.

"So I waited for you to realize how much I liked you. I tried everything I knew to gain your attention but it only seemed to garner more distrust and distaste. Then at the party-" his voice caught and he cleared his throat before he continued, his voice softer and huskier. "At the party I kissed you and we ended up friends. I was so happy that I now had a chance of pulling you closer to me so you would like me. I had hoped to use the concert to show you I'm actually a good guy." His finger caressed her jaw and he smiled again. "Then I saw you and Dean going at it and I was happier than I had even been in my life to hear you tell him to leave you alone. I had a better chance if you weren't pining over him."

"Now tell me if you meant it," he commanded, gathering her closer to his body. His hand framed her face when he teased her, "We can go to the PJ Harvey concert as our first date."

Rory smiled and lifted her own hand to his face. "I like you, Tristan Dugrey, even though I tried not to." He closed his eyes and kissed her palm, gently caressing it with his tongue. She shivered and he smiled.

"I'm glad you couldn't _not_ like me." He whispered. He bent his head slowly towards hers but halted a breath away from her lips. She could feel his lips move as he asked, "Rory Gilmore, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes," she whispered back. Before he could deepen the contact, she cleared her throat nervously and leaned back.

"Just a moment. I want to be up front with you about something. What Dean did hurt me and even though we are broken up, it may take me a little while to fully reconcile myself with what just happened. So maybe we could delay the actual dating part of the relationship so I can be certain I'm not going to hurt you or myself with this."

Tristan smiled at her speech. "Are you done?" He asked politely, still keeping her in his arms.

Warily she scanned his face, "Yes."

"Good. Now my answer to delaying the dating: no. If you hurt me, or if you hurt yourself, we'll talk about it or argue about it, fix it and keep going. This is a relationship that's going down in history." He brushed his mouth against her lips then brought his mouth harder against hers. He wasn't teasing her or testing her with this kiss: he was claiming her. The heat of his mouth branded her heart as surely as it did her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his hair. He lifted her against him as he deepened the kiss. Their tongues intertwined and challenged before they broke apart for air. They leaned their foreheads against each other and breathed heavily.

Rory heard a familiar sound and looked over his shoulder. She groaned when she saw her bus leaving without her.

"What?" Tristan asked. "What's wrong?"

"My bus just left." He chuckled and hugged her tighter.

"Then I guess I'll just have to start my boyfriend duties and give you a ride home. And it'll make it easier to keep my promise about meeting your mom." He set her on the ground reluctantly and picked up their bags and led her to his car. He opened the door for her and looked confused when she laughed. "What now?"

"Nothing, it's just that I can't wait to see my mom's reaction to all of this." Actually the Lorelei voice in her mind had already cautioned her about the inevitable questions waiting for them at home.

_I'll be waiting and I demand an inquisition at Luke's so we can put the fear of God in him,_ she had said. Rory smiled and leaned back against the upholstery, holding her boyfriend's hand as they headed home to an impatient Lorelei.


End file.
